Current Internal Medicine Residents

PGY1


Okanlawon Abu, MD
Okanlawon was born in Lagos, Nigeria and migrated to Chicago, Illinois to seek better opportunities and a sound education. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Bioinformatics, with a minor in Chemistry from Loyola University in Chicago. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago. His clinical interests include working with vulnerable populations and underserved communities. He enjoys volunteering in the community and playing various sports such as soccer. 

Khalid Al-Rayess, DO
Khalid Al-Rayess graduated medical school from Midwestern University in Arizona. He is a Bay Area native and attended University of California Berkeley majoring in Molecular Cell Biology. He enjoys movies, theater and supporting professional sports teams such as the Warriors, SF Giants, Raiders, and Arsenal.   Khalid stays active by working out, playing tennis/basketball, or running, often rewarding himself afterwards by finding a new coffee shop or ice cream shop.
 

Alexis Baricevic, DO
Alexis was born and raised in Southern California.  She received her undergraduate degree in Nutritional Sciences from UC Berkeley and completed a master’s degree in Global Medicine at USC before pursuing medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. Clinical areas of interest include patient advocacy, primary care, clinical research and the development of new medical devices and technology. In her free time, she enjoys taking dance classes, running, hiking, yoga, playing the piano, exploring new places, and spending quality time with family and friends. 

Matthew Barrera, MD
Born and raised in Redlands, California, Matthew completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Riverside. From there he went on to Medical School at St. George University in Grenada, West Indies. His clinical interests include Cardiology and Infectious Disease. In his free time, he enjoys watching Sunday football games, weight-lifting, and trying new restaurants. 

 

Christine Huynh, DO
Dr. Christine Huynh grew up in Renton, Washington. She attained a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering at Washington State University and completed her medical school training at Pacific Northwest University. Her medical interests include Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hematology-Oncology, and Sports Medicine. During her personal time, she enjoys swimming, tennis, and spending time with her family.

 

Farah Issa, MD, MBBCh
Farah Issa, a Somali American, is from Alexandria, Virginia, and Cairo, Egypt. She graduated from Cairo University Medical School. Growing up, community service and advocacy were deeply instilled in her by her parents. Volunteering at free clinics and attending medical school in an under-served country inspired her to pursue primary care, specifically Internal Medicine. Her interests in medicine include health equity, community-centered health, and public health education. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. 

Ameer Khalek, DO
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ameer attended The George Washington University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise & Nutrition Science and a Master’s degree in Public Health. Returning to Las Vegas, he graduated from Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine and hopes to continue pursuit of his passions: critical care, public health, QA/QI, and healthcare innovation. Ameer enjoys being outdoors, watching the Rams and Golden Knights play, writing, photography, and spending time with his newfydoodle, Koa. 

Olivia O’Keefe, MD 
Raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Olivia is happy to return to her hometown as one of the Primary Care Track Interns. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, where she cultivated a passion for Geriatrics in the Neuroscience Lab researching Huntington’s disease. She attended medical school at Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados and completed the majority of her clinical training at Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, boy-cat Loki, and cheering on our own NHL team - Go Knights Go! 

Shazia Pathan, MD
Shazia was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She attended Dubai Medical College to pursue her interests in medicine and global health. She completed her clinical education in Baltimore, Maryland and Los Angeles, California. Her clinical interests include Las Vegas’ diverse patient population and addressing healthcare barriers for underserved populations. Shazia loves adventures, soccer, motorsports, and spending time with her family and friends. She has spent many winter breaks in Las Vegas. 
 

Tha Sok, DO 
Tha grew up in Los Angeles, CA and completed his undergraduate studies at University of California, Irvine. He then went on to receive both his masters and medical degree from Touro University Nevada. After residency, he hopes to obtain a job as a hospitalist where he can focus on his passion to deliver quality care to his patients. He loves all fields of Internal Medicine but has a keen interest in Cardiology and Pulmonary/Critical Care. In his free time, he loves to catch up on sports, do escape rooms with his family and friends, hike and spend a day on the golf course.  

Joanne Desquitado Uy, MD 
Born and raised in the Philippines, Joanne graduated from Cebu Doctors’ University College of Medicine.   Prior to pursuing her medical education, she earned a degree in Nursing and acquired her license to practice in the profession. Moving to the US in 2021, she worked as a Registered Nurse in Nevada prior to her acceptance in our residency program. During her time serving the Filipino people, in a country where the majority of the populace experience insufficient healthcare resources, she developed a passion for addressing health inequities.

Jisang Yu, MD 
Jisang was born and raised in Yeongwol, a very small town in South Korea. His interest in life sciences from a young age shifted to healing people after graduating college. He worked as a public health physician for three years in an underserved region in Korea developing a vision to establish sustainable medicine in areas in need. Jisang loves to learn new sports and enjoys playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, ping-pong, hiking, and CrossFit. He also likes to spend quality time with his wife and son.